Another Life
by Sweet-Sunshyne
Summary: In a DADA class Hermione makes a simple mistake. But this mistake has BIG consequences. Hermione soon finds out that she is in a whole other world. A whole new place. In a Parallel universe. How is she going to get back? Who can help? DMHG
1. Chapter 1

Summary: In a DADA class Hermione makes a simple mistake. But this mistake has BIG consequences. Hermione soon finds out that she is in a whole other world. A whole new place. In a Parallel universe. How is she going to get back to the life she knew? And how is Draco Malfoy going to help?

WARNING: This story might have a lot of people out of character, but that's because of the whole Parallel universe thing.

Disclaimer: I'm only going to do this once, so listen up. I am not J K Rowling. If you think I am, then get your head checked. Raise your hand if you see a point to these disclaimers! I mean, who honestly reads fanfic and thinks that it's Rowling's work? Just out of curiosity, I'm wondering.

XxxX

"Hermione, are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine Harry," Hermione answered as she sat at the Gryffindor table for breakfast one morning.

"You don't look fine," Ron pointed out, shoving some pancakes into his mouth.

"How much sleep did you get last night?" Harry asked.

"Tons..." Hermione said letting out a huge yawn.

"So under an hour then?"

"Well, I had to finish Snape's essay before class."

"We don't have Potions until after lunch and we have a free period before it. Hermione, you can't keep doing this to yourself. You're going to tire yourself out," Harry told Hermione with much concern.

"I just want to stay on top of things. After all, we have our NEWTs coming up. I'm fine, you guys. Honestly."

"Your elbow is in a bowl of gravy," Ron pointed out to Hermione with his fork.

"Oh...right," Hermione chuckled as she took her elbow out. "I'm going to go wash this up. I'll see you in..."

"DADA," Harry answered.

"Right."

Hermione then got up, grabbed her school bag and left the Great Hall, yawning on her way out. She walked to the closest bathroom and began to clean the gravy off her robes.

Afterwards, she leaned against the bathroom wall and closed her eyes. She was really tired. Hermione, after all, had stayed up until 6:30 AM before she even thought of climbing into bed and calling it a day.

She really wanted to be on top of things. She hated having homework. Well, unfinished homework anyway. So she could have saved Snape's essay until free period. But why do that? Getting it done put her on top of things.

Right?

Perhaps she would take a nap during free period. Yeah, that sounded like a good idea. Hermione let out a sigh and left the bathroom and headed towards her class, all the while walking like one would do if they were drunk.

"Whoa, Granger, didn't know you had it in you," said a voice from behind Hermione.

Hermione turned around to see that it was Malfoy. She let out a frustrated sigh.

"What do you want Malfoy?" she snapped at him.

"Oh, not very friendly," Malfoy sneered. "I'm just wondering why a mudblood like you is walking down the hallways drunk."

"I'm not drunk, Malfoy."

"Oh yeah, now I believe you," Malfoy said with every hint of sarcasm.

"Leave me alone Malfoy," Hermione glared at him.

"Nah, this is much more fun."

Hermione, who was very tired, very cranky, and was now late for class, was not in the mood for Malfoy's crap. In two seconds, she was two feet from him and her wand was pointed at his chest. She was just about to mutter a little hex when they were interrupted.

"Miss Granger," said a cold voice.

Damn, it was Snape.

"Miss Granger, just what is it you think you're doing?"

Hermione lowered her wand and let out a sigh. No use, it would be 50 points from Gryffindor for sure.

"60 points from Gryffindor."

60?

"50 for threatening Mr. Malfoy here and 10 for not answering my question. Now both of you, get to class."

Hermione pocketed her wand, turned on her heels, and walked to her DADA class. She entered the room with Malfoy right behind her.

"Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy, glad you could join us," the professor said. "Take a seat."

Hermione walked acrossed the room and took a seat next to Harry and Ron, while Malfoy walked over and sat next to some of his fellow Slytherins.

"You alright Hermione?" Ron whispered to Hermione.

"Fine," Hermione answered. "Just..." she let out a yawn "tired."

"Shouldn't have stayed up so late then," Harry told her.

"I plan on taking a nap for free period," Hermione told her friends.

"Good," Harry said "Because you look like the walking dead."

"Class," the professor began, "Today we will be working with Dark transporters."

"With what?" Malfoy shouted out.

"Dark transporters, Mr. Malfoy. They are used to transport your enemies."

Hermione let out a yawn.

"It would be best if you paid attention, Hermione," Harry said to her under his breath.

"Wha—? I am!"

"And what is it we're learning about?"

"We're learning about..." Hermione trailed off. Ok, so she wasn't listening and instead was thinking how nice it would be to be lying down on her own bed.

"Thought so," Harry said with a chuckle.

Hermione shook her head to get all thoughts of sleep out of her mind and then focused her eyes on the teacher.

"Dark transporters," he was saying, "if used correctly can get rid of your enemies by transporting them."

_Well, that's a given,_ Hermione thought.

"It won't transport them far..."

_How long is free period today?_

"Usually only a few miles away..."

_I hope it's long. I could use some sleep._

"But if not used correctly…" The professor began to pass out small, round objects out to everyone in the class. Hermione picked hers up and examined it while her mind was in another world. "You can end up transporting yourself. There are some cases where people have ended up in whole other worlds."

_Maybe if I just closed my eyes a bit I could pay attention to this lesson._

"It's still not known how that happens..."

Hermione closed her eyes, letting out a sigh.

"Hermione, pay attention!" Ron hissed.

Startled, Hermione dropped the Dark transporter and fell from her seat. And then, next thing she knew, everything went black.

XxxX

_Oh my head..._

Hermione rolled over on the bed. Where was she?

Hermione opened her eyes only to be surrounded by white. She rolled onto her back and sat up taking in her surroundings. She was in the Hospital Wing.

_What happened?_

"Oh, good, you're up." It was Madam Pomphrey.

"Wha—?"

"It's nice to see you up Miss Granger," she said walking over to Hermione, though she didn't sound happy about it at all.

"Just let me see if you're ok." Pomphrey said, pulling out her wand.

Hermione didn't protest and Pomphrey gave her an odd look.

"How long have I been in here?" Hermione asked.

"Couple hours," Madam Pomphrey answered. "You missed lunch."

"Oh.."

"Well, you seem fine to me," Pomphrey said. "Everyone is in free period right now," she told Hermione. "You can leave now."

Hermione got out of bed. "Thanks, Madam Pomphrey."

Pomphrey looked startled by the gratitude, but said welcome anyway.

_Now to find Harry and Ron._ Hermione told herself as she walked down the deserted corridor. She glanced out one of the windows and saw many of her fellow students sitting by the black lake. And Harry and Ron! They were sitting under in a seat by the tree. Hermione smiled as she realized they were trying to do some last minute homework.

But the smile faded off her face when she saw Malfoy walking up to them.What did he want? Hermione decided that she would help her friends out and quickly walked to the front oak doors and then walked towards the lake. When she got there, Harry and Ron were just getting ready to leave.

"Harry! Ron!" Hermione called out to them.

The two turned to her and looked startled.

"What do you want, Granger?" Malfoy, who hadn't been standing too far from her friends, asked.

"Leave me alone, Malfoy!" Hermione said, glaring at him.

"How about _you_ leave _us_ alone," Ron said.

"What?"

"Granger, we don't need your crap right now. We have class to get to," Harry said.

_What the heck is going on?_

"Hey, what's going on here, love?" Hermione turned around to see Blaise Zabini walking towards her.

She could hear Harry, Ron and Malfoy groan.

"What?" Hermione said as Zabini made a move to put his arm around her waist, but she pulled away.

"You're not torturing these Gryffindorks without me, are you?" Zabini said, winking at Hermione.

"I...uh..."

"What do you two want?" Malfoy asked glaring at the Hermione and Zabini.

_Why is Malfoy being rude to Zabini?_

"Shut up, mudblood," Zabini said

"Hang on… What!?" One second he's trying to hold onto her the next he's calling her names?

Somewhere in the distance, the warning bell rang.

"Come on, Hermione," Zabini said, taking her hand.

_What the bloody hell is going on?! Why is Zabini's hand in mine? _Hermione let out a sigh _Just go with it. Things will clear up._

"Where are we going?" Hermione asked as Zabini pulled her to their next class.

"Potions, of course."

_Potions! Oh, thank Merlin I finished my essay ahead of time._

"Listen love," Zabini said. "I would have seen you in the Hospital Wing, but I had that detention with McGonagall."

"It's fine..." Hermione said as she now walked down to the dungeons with Zabini.

"Good." Zabini said and he stopped walking. "You're the best girl." He said and he leaned in to give her a kiss.

Hermione leaned away.

"We're going to be late, Zab-Blaise."

"Course," he said, though he looked slightly hurt.

They entered the Potions room and saw the class like its usual self. Friends talking amongst friends while Snape was still in his office. Zabini pulled Hermione to the Slytherin side of the room. She glanced over to the Gryffindors and saw Harry and Ron happily chatting with Malfoy.

Something was not right.

The door banged open and Snape came into the room. "Settle down," he said, though there wasn't really a need because the class instantly went quiet as he entered.

"Today, we will be taking notes on the Wolvesbane potion."

Malfoy's hand went into the air "Sir," he said not waiting to be called on, "We took notes on the Wolvesbane potion last lesson."

"Mr. Malfoy, need I remind you who is in charge?"

"But sir—"

"Malfoy, I am the teacher and I believe it is me with the lesson plans, not you. Now, remain quiet or I'll have to take points off your house."

_Wolvesbane potion?_ Hermione thought _Hang on!_ Draco was right. The class had taken notes on the potion already. They were supposed to be making it now.

"Professor," Hermione said, "Malfoy's right. We're actually supposed to be making the potion ourselves now."

Snape looked at Hermione for a quick second and then walked behind his desk. He pulled out a clipboard and looked through some papers. "Seems you're right, Miss Granger."

_Ha!_

"My mistake," Snape said. "20 points to Slytherin. Thank you, Miss Granger."

Hermione beamed. She just won 20 points for her house. _And_ it had been Snape to give the points.

Wait,

_Slytherin!?_

XxxX

A/N: Well, that's the first chapter. So what do you think? What do you think is going on? Well, I can't tell you. Well, I can, but I won't unless I get some reviews. You'll find out in the next couple of chapters.

Please review!

Cheers!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks to all those wonderful reviews. Enjoy chapter two.

XxxX

"Is she going to be alright?" Ron asked as he sat in a seat next to Harry.

They were in the Hospital Wing and were staring at an unconscious Hermione.

Madam Pomfrey let out a sigh. "It seems," she said, "That Miss Granger is fine."

"It seems?" Harry asked.

"Well, from what I know, Miss Granger seems to be somewhere else."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Ron asked.

"Well, Dark Transporters are known to transport but sometimes, when things go wrong, this stuff happens," Pomfrey said, pointing down at Hermione on the bed. "Dark Transporters are also known to put people in parallel universes."

"So that's where Hermione is?" questioned Harry.

"In a way. You see, Hermione may still be here with us, but she is also in a parallel universe."

"How does that work?" Ron practically yelled.

"No one is quite sure. Somehow in her mind. But it is known that Hermione is the one calling all the shots."

"And that means...what exactly?"

"That she is the one creating this parallel universe. You see, it's all in her mind. She has complete control over everything that happens. She just doesn't know that. Miss Granger will be fine, boys. She will wake up in a day or two."

"Are you sure?" Ron asked as he got up.

"Quite sure. It may seem to Miss Granger months are years, but to us it will only be a couple of days. Now boys, why don't you go off to class now?"

"Thanks, Madam Pomfrey," Harry said politely as him and his best friend left the Hospital Wing.

XxxX

Slytherin? _Slytherin?_ Surely not!

Hermione sat in her seat giving a blank stare to Professor Snape. Did he just say Slytherin? Hermione wasn't a Slytherin. No, this could not be happening.

_'Just go with it,'_ Hermione told herself. _'Things will clear up on their own.'_

Hermione let out a sigh and closed her eyes.

'_No! Don't close your eyes. That's what got you here in the first place!'_ she yelled to herself.

But where _was _she?

"Hermione,"

Hermione looked to her left to see Zabini giving her a worried look. "Yeah?" she managed to get out.

"We're working on our potion now."

"Right," Hermione looked down at her cauldron.

"Hermione, are you alright? You look sick or something."

Hermione only nodded.

The hell she was alright! She was a mess. How did she end up a Slytherin. Why was Malfoy sitting across the room chatting cheerfully with her best friends? Hermione let out another sigh and looked back at Zabini, who gave her a warm smile.

Dear Lord, Zabini was smiling at Hermione! A Gryffindor and a muggleborn! Wait! She was a Slytherin. Gah! This was frustrating.

Hermione let out another sigh_. 'Just go with it. Just go with it. Things will clear up,' _she kept saying to herself.

To hell with it!

Hermione jumped out of her seat. The whole class stared at her as she stood there, looking on the verge of tears.

"Something wrong, Miss Granger?" Snape asked.

"I..." What was she supposed to say? That she wasn't a Slytherin. Perhaps that would work... "I..." She tried again, "not Slytherin..." she said just above a whisper.

"Pardon?" Snape said and the whole class leaned forward to try and hear Hermione.

"I'm not a Slytherin." She said more quietly. Zabini was the only one who heard.

"Professor!" He practically shouted "Something's wrong with her!"

Snape walked over to the table. "What is wrong Miss Granger?" He really did sound concerned and that worried Hermione.

The fear left her and instead she felt anger start to boil up inside her.Snape was not supposed to care for her. She was not supposed to be a Slytherin. Zabini was not supposed to take her hand as if the two were dating. Malfoy was not supposed to be laughing with her friends.

Hermione pounded her fist onto the desk. "Everything is wrong!" she screamed. "Why the bloody hell am I sitting over here when I should be sitting over there?" Hermione asked pointing over to the Gryffindor side of the room, causing the whole class to gasp.

"Hermione," Zabini said "Hermione, love, are you alright?"

Ignoring him, Hermione continued. "Why is Malfoy sitting over there? He should be sitting here! He is the stupid self absorbed Slytherin!"

This caused many students to laugh (mainly Gryffindors) and the rest to gasp (Of course, the Slytherin).

Hermione glanced over to see the amused looks of Harry and Ron and the shocked look of Malfoy. She inwardly smiled.

"Miss Granger," Snape said, "Are you sure you're in the right mind?"

"Of course I am!" Hermione screamed "I'm not a bloody Slytherin!"

"Perhaps you should go to the Hospital Wing. Mr, Zabini, would you kindly take her?"

Zabini nodded and went to grab Hermione's hand, but she jerked it away. "Get your filthy Slytherin hands off of me!" she screamed.

More gasps from the class.

"Hermione," Zabini said, looking only startled.

"Right," Snape said recovering quickly. "Malfoy! Take Miss Granger to the Hospital Wing."

"I don't want to be taken there by a Slytherin!" Hermione screamed.

Snape ignored Hermione "Malfoy, now!"

Malfoy slowly got out of his seat and walked over to Hermione. He ignored her protests and grabbed her by the arm and pulled her out of the classroom.

"Malfoy, let go of me!" she snapped at him.

He gladly let go "So, what is wrong with you, Granger?"

"Nothing is wrong. I need to get to the library," Hermione began to walk in the direction of the library. She had to figure out what happened and the only place she would find the information would be in a book.

"Granger, I was told to take you to the Hospital Wing."

"Leave me alone, Malfoy." And Hermione walked off to the Library.

XxxX

A/N: I'm leaving it here for now. Only because I need a whole chapter for Hermione searching for answers. Please review!

Cheers!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I wasn't all to happy with chapter two. To make it up, I'm updating a lot sooner.

Enjoy!

XxxX

Hermione began to walk off towards the library. This had to be the worst day of her life.

"Granger," Malfoy called running after her. "Granger, wait!"

Hermione turned around to see Malfoy running to catch up with her. "What?" she asked impatiently.

"I'm supposed to take you to the Hospital Wing, not the library," Malfoy said as he finally caught up.

"Well, that's too bad, because that's where I'm going." Hermione turned again and began to walk, Malfoy following close behind.

"What is wrong with you, Granger?" He asked "You never go to the library."

"What are you talking about? I always go to the library," Hermione snapped at him.

"_Who_ the hell are you?" Malfoy asked as he tried to keep up with Hermione.

"What are you talking about?" Hermione said again _'Stay calm. Malfoy has no idea what he's talking about. You're still Hermione Granger, the bookworm that everyone knows.' _But for some reason, Hermione didn't quite believe herself. _'What was I doing when I got myself in this situation? I was in DADA working with...'_

"Malfoy," Hermione said turning to him.

"What?"

"What were we doing in DADA earlier today?"

Malfoy looked taken aback by the question, but answered anyway. "Heck if I know. Ron took the notes."

Hermione choked. _'Ron, take notes? Surely not.' _

"I think it was something with Dark Transporters or something," Malfoy said.

Hermione stopped walking, causing Malfoy to run into her "Don't just stop walking, Granger!" he snapped at her.

She, of course, ignored him. That was it! They were working with Dark Transporters. How could she have forgotten? Because she hadn't been listening, that's why. Now what was it that the Professor said that could happen if not used correctly?

"Oh, Merlin, save me!" Hermione said as realization hit her.

"Pardon?" Malfoy said giving her a blank stare.

Hermione let out a sigh "Parallel universe," she said just under her breath.

"What?" Malfoy tried again.

"This can not be happening." Hermione said "I really am a Slytherin?"

"Granger!" Malfoy snapped. "Explain what the hell you're going on about."

But Hermione was unable to answer. Her head got dizzy and then everything went black as she hit the cold stone floor in a dead faint.

XxxX

"Glad to see you up, Miss Granger."

Hermione sat up once again in the Hospital Wing. "Oh, my head," she said and Madam Pomfrey gave her a potion which Hermione willingly drank. "How long have I been out?"

"Hour and a half," was her answer. "You missed the rest of class."

"Damn," Hermione would have some catching up to do.

"_Was it all a dream?'_ Hermione thought _'Please, Merlin, let it all be a dream!'_

Just then the Hospital Wing doors swung open and Blaise Zabini walked in with a bouquet of roses.

'_Damn, it wasn't a dream.'_

"For you, my sweet,," Zabini said handing the flowers to Hermione and kissing her forehead, causing Hermione to flinch. "You feeling better now?" he asked.

Hermione nodded, though in reality, she felt terrible.

Hermione turned to Zabini "Zab-Blaise, what are we?" she asked.

Startled by the question, Zabini took a second to answer "A couple, of course," he said.

"I was afraid of that," Hermione said under her breath.

"What?"

"Nothing," Hermione said. "Listen Za-Blaise, you're really nice and all but..."

"Are you breaking up with me, Hermione?"

"Well, uh..."

"After we've been together for four years now?" Zabini said.

'_Four years?_' "I'm sorry Zab-_Blaise,_ I just...can't." Hermione said rather quietly.

"Fine, whatever," Zabini said sounding angry. "See you around, Hermione." And with that, he left the Hospital Wing.

Hermione let out a low sigh. She was in a parallel universe and she had just broken up with her parallel boyfriend. She really need a library. They would have books on parallel universes and perhaps Hermione could find out how to get back to the life that she knew.

"Madam Pomfrey," Hermione said, "Is it alright if I go now?"

"Yeah sure," Pomfrey said. It seemed that Pomfrey really didn't like Hermione and was actually eager to see her go.

Hermione climbed out of the bed and left saying goodbye to Madam Pomfrey on her way out. She then headed towards the library. When she reached the doors, she let out a happy sigh. Finally, a place she actually knew.

But upon entering, she let out a scream. Where was the library! This most certainly was not a library.

Hermione took in her surroundings once again. There were only about 10 shelves and about 3 tables with 5 or 6 chairs. How was she supposed to find information on parallel universes when there were practically no books!?

Then, she saw her. In the back of the 'library' sat a girl with flaming red hair and a very freckled face.

"Ginny!" Hermione called running over to her friend.

"Shhh!" the librarian warned.

Startled, Ginny looked up from her book and saw Hermione Granger standing next to her.

"Ginny," Hermione said. "I am so glad to see you."

Hermione looked down at her friend to see that she was on the verge of tears.

"Sorry...Sorry Granger. I'll...I'll get out of your way."

And before Hermione could say anything, Ginny had grabbed her things and ran out of the 'library'.

Well, Hermione hadn't expected that. She dropped her things and took the seat that Ginny had just been in. She put her head in her hands.

Of course Ginny would be different. This was, after all, a parallel universe. Everyone was bound to be different in one way or another. Hermione then stood up. She could at least look for a book on parallel universes and maybe. if she was lucky. she would find something on Dark Transporters too.

Hermione then spent the next hour and a half searching for any useful information. Finally, she gave up. This library had absolutely nothing!

Hermione slammed her book shut and left the library. She could use with a good night's sleep.

She walked down the hall when she realized that she had no idea where she was going. In this parallel universe, she was a Slytherin. She had no idea where the Slytherin common room was. She would have to find another Slytherin.

Hermione then walked down the many corridors searching for another Slytherin. She was just passing by what she thought was an empty classroom when she heard voices.

"There really is something wrong with Granger," she heard. Hermione stopped walking to hear more.

"There is nothing wrong with Granger, Draco," someone said. Sounded like Harry to Hermione.

"I'm telling you guys, she was acting all weird when I had to take her to the Hospital Wing."

"It's Hermione Granger," Hermione could tell that was Ron. "She is always acting weird, making up excuses to get out of class. I bet she didn't finish her Potions assignment and that's why she acted that way in class today."

"For some reason, I have a hard time believing you, Ron," Malfoy said. "Granger's favorite class is Potions. She wouldn't need to make up an excuse to get extra time on her work."

"Why do you care, anyway?" Harry asked.

"I..I don't. I'm just wondering what you think."

"I honestly think that she should stay in the Hospital Wing," Ron said.

"She is yet to call me mudblood today," Malfoy said.

'_Why would I call Malfoy a mudblood?'_ Hermione wondered.

"Draco, why does it matter?" Harry asked. "She's just a stuck up pureblood who just wants attention."

'_Pureblood!?'_

"You guys don't–" but Malfoy's sentence was cut off when they heard a loud thud outside the classroom. They walked out only to see Hermione Granger passed out on the stone floor.

Malfoy let out a sigh. "That normal to you guys?" he asked.

XxxX

End of Chapter.

Ok, what did you think of that chapter? Please review! If I get 7 reviews for this chapter, I'll update earlier.

Cheers!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Ok, I'm done with asking for reviews. I never get them. So here you go, the next chapter. Sorry for such a delay. I lie and say that I've been busy but really, I'm just lazy.

Enjoy!

XxxX

Hermione let out a groan. Please, it all had to be some weird dream. She was really in her bed in the Gryffindor dorm. She slowly opened her eyes and was surrounded by white. 'Blast!'

"Oh, Miss Granger," said an all too familiar voice. "Glad to see you up." She didn't sound all to happy.

Hermione rubbed her eyes and sat up. It was Pomfrey.

"You've been in here quite a few times today, Miss Granger," Pomfrey said. "I do think it would be best if you just stayed here for the night."

Hermione let out a sigh "Well, that's good." _'Really don't want to go searching for the Slytherin common rooms.'_

"You really owe Mr Malfoy a thanks," Pomfrey said nodding her head in a certain direction.

Hermione fallowed her gaze and she spotted Malfoy sitting in a chair, his elbow propped up and his head resting.

"I told him he should really get going, but he insisted to be here when you woke up."

Hermione turned back to Pomfrey "Why?" she simply asked

"I haven't got the slightest clue. I suppose he just wants to talk."

Pomfrey gave Hermione a potion. "Now drink this." Hermione did so. "I'll be in my office if you need anything," she said before walking off.

After finishing the potion, Hermione let out a sigh. "Malfoy," she said. He didn't move "Malfoy," she said again slightly louder.

Nothing.

She let out another sigh and looked around her. She noticed a book on a side desk and picked it up. She examined it before throwing it at Malfoy, who got hit in his supporting arm, causing his head to fall and hit the arm rest.

"Bloody hell!" he shouted.

Hermione tried to hold back her laugh.

"You could have just said my name to wake me up, you know," he snapped at her.

"Don't think I didn't try," she replied back, "Now, why are you here?" She was never really one to beat around the bush.

He shifted in his seat. "Well, the thing is, I don't really know," he answered.

"How do you not know?" Hermione folded her arms across her chest.

"You just seem different and I...wanted to make sure you really were ok."

She gave him a look of confusion. How odd was it that Draco Malfoy was actually concerned about her well being? _'Oh right, parallel universe,'_ she quickly remembered.

"So, are you?"

"No, Malfoy, I'm not."

He raised his eyebrows. He obviously wasn't expecting that.

"Can I tell you something?" Hermione asked before she could stop herself.

Why was she about to tell Malfoy her secret? I mean, parallel universe or not, he was still Draco Malfoy and they still weren't friends. But perhaps since this Draco was actually really different from the one she knew and was more like herself she felt some sort of connection.

Before she could figure out exactly why, Malfoy had left his seat and now sat on the edge of the hospital bed.

"You can trust me, Granger."

'_Never thought I would hear Malfoy say that.'_

"I'm not the Hermione Granger you know."

Draco snorted "Then who are you?"

"Well, I am Hermione Granger... Listen, Malfoy, this is going to sound really odd, but you have to believe me."

He only nodded.

"I'm in a parallel universe. Or... I'm _from_ a parallel universe. However you want to look at it."

There was silence for only a moment and then Malfoy spoke again "A parallel universe? As in: same people, different qualities?"

"Well actually, per definition, in a parallel universe some and most things will be completely opposites, but there are some things that are the same."

"So... if you're from a parallel universe how did you get here?"

"Well, the dark transporters of course," she answered. "They can do that, you know."

"Yeah, I think Ron's notes said something about that."

Hermione snorted.

"What?"

"Sorry," she said. "Just hard to believe that it's Ron who pays attention in class."

"Why would that be hard to believe?"

"Well, in my world..." she trailed off. "Never mind, you don't want to know."

"Actually, I do," he replied. "This is all kind of nutty, but in a way it explains your odd behavior."

She let out a long sigh. "Ok, to sum it up, I'm a Gryffindor, best friends with Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. You're a Slytherin who is a big pain in the arse and thinks that just because you're a pureblood you're better than everyone else."

Malfoy gaped at her "Are you crazy!?"

"That's only half of it," she said.

"By the sound of it, you and I only switched places," he said.

"Well, that does happen in parallel universes."

"How is it you know so much?" Malfoy wondered.

"Oh, I'm a bookworm from where I come from."

"Ok, that trait went to Ron."

Hermione let a small smile cross her face "You really are nothing like the Draco Malfoy I know."

"You really are not the Hermione Granger _I_ know," he said in reply.

"Thanks, Malfoy. But you've got to promise to keep this a secret. I need to act as 'normal' as possible."

"That might be a good idea. And you need to stop calling Harry and Ron well... Harry and Ron."

Another smile crossed her face. "I can't believe I trust you with such a secret."

"I can't believe I'm going to keep it."

Just then Pomfrey came back in "I'm sorry, Mr Malfoy, but you must go. Curfew is almost over." He nodded and got up.

"Bye, Granger.You might want to work on being a prat."

She mock glared and then waved good bye.

XxxX

A/N: Lovely. The next chapter should be soon.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: The more reviews I get, the more I want to write and since I'm not getting as many as reviews as I like... Well, you see what I'm getting at. Anyway, I suggest you take a look at my profile for further explanation. I have a big Author's Note posted there. As for now, on with the story.

* * *

Hermione sat there for a moment. She had just told Draco Malfoy her little secret. Not only that, but she trusted him to keep it. It was a good thing she was already in the hospital wing, because she certainly would have gone to get herself checked for head damage or something by now. 

But Draco had said he was worried because she wasn't acting like her normal self. Just what was her normal self?

'_Suppose I could just act like the Malfoy I know,_' she thought to herself. _'I have, after all, been in school plays before Hogwarts. Though I never was the lead...'_

Hermione let out a sigh and decided that the next person she saw would experience how mean Hermione Granger could really be.

She looked around herself, already bored. It was still a little too early to go to bed. Just then, the Hospital Wing doors opened and Hermione saw Ginny Weasley come in. She had obviously been on the receiving end of a Bat Boggey Hex and was on the verge of tears.

"Hey Ginny, are you all right?" Hermione asked, forgetting about her earlier decision.

Ginny gave her one look, before the tears started to run. "Please Granger..." Ginny begged, "I haven't done anything."

Hermione stared, her mouth agap, when Pomphrey came back in and ran to the youngest Weasley. "Shh, Miss Weasley. It's going to be alright." She turned to Hermione "What did you do?" she glared.

"I didn't--" she started. 'Time to be mean.' "I didn't do anything," Hermione tried to say with some sort of venom in her voice "Not my fault the Weasley's a wimp." Hermione instantly felt guilty. Ginny was, afterall, one of her closest girl friends. In the universe she knew, anyway.

Ginny was shaking her head, and Pomphrey looked back at her. "Who did this to you, then?" she asked.

"Zabini," Ginny said, before letting out a sob.

Pomphrey looked back at Hermione with a glare.

"What? Don't look at me, I dumped the git." Hermione smirked, not feeling guilty about saying that at all.

Ginny continued to shake her head, and Pomphrey looked down at her sympathetically "Oh, come now," she said sweetly. "Let's take this jinx off of you." Pomphrey then led Ginny into another room, leaving Hermione once again by herself.

Oh Merlin, how was she going to get through this? Hermione ran a hand over her face. Maybe just for now, she should clear her mind. Let all the information of what was going on sink in later.

With that plan in mind, Hermione looked for something to do. She saw the book that she had thrown at Malfoy earlier lying on the ground. She got out of the bed and went over to pick it up.

It had a green velvet cover with no title, or even an author's name.

Hermione flipped it over to look at the back. Still nothing. _'Odd,_' she thought as she took a seat back on the bed. and flipped open the book. _'It's All A Dream, Parallel universes and what to expect,'_ Hermione read.

"Oh, thank Merlin!" she said as she flipped over to the table of contents.

She scanned it until she found the chapter she needed.

_'Chapter 12, How to get home'_

Hermione flipped to the page and began to read: _'As discussed in the first chapter, a parallel universe is nothing really but a dream one usually makes up themselves while in some sort of coma.'_

"I'm in a coma?" Hermione asked herself before she continued to read.

_'Usually, people who find themselves in a parallel universe have a small goal they must acomplish before waking up from said coma. It is up to the person to find out what their goal is and they must complete it before awaking. Sometimes the goals can be simple, like being the leader instead of the follower, or being the smart one in class. Sometimes, however--'_

Hermione stopped reading and shut the book. So that was it? All she had to do was acomplish her goal. But what was her goal? Well, it couldn't be wanting to be a leader. She was never one to lead, that was all Harry and she was perfectly fine with that. And she had already acomplished being the smartest one. But what could it be?

Letting out a sigh, Hermione decided to leave all this questioning for tomorrow and to just go to sleep. Even though technically she was in a coma and already asleep.

Forgetting that thought, she pulled the covers over her body and found a comfortable position before going to sleep.

XxxX

"Miss Granger..."

Hermione stirred in bed.

"Miss Granger."

Hermione groaned, before turning to her side and going back to sleep.

"Miss Granger!"

"What!?" Hermione yelled, sitting up in bed only to find Madam Pomphrey standing by her bed.

"Miss Granger, it is time for you to go. Everyone is down in the Great Hall having breakfast, and unless you don't want any before your next class, I suggest you get down there."

"Ok, ok."

"And Miss Granger, I don't want to have to see you again anytime soon. I've seen you quite enough in the last 24 hours."

Giving a nod, Hermione got out of bed and got dressed into her Slytherin robes, before going down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

Upon entering the Great Hall, she noticed that not much was different from what she knew. All the students, chatting with their friends over silly things, such as Quidditch. All the teachers up at their own table talking about future lesson plans or troubled students. Hermione felt much more relaxed. This was Hogwarts as she knew it.

"Hermione, over here!" Someone shouted from the Slytherin table.

She looked over to see it was Zabini. She inwardly groaned, before walking over to him.

"Have a seat, love," he said, patting the empty seat next to him.

Hermione didn't sit down. "Blaise, I told you.You and I are no longer together."

The smile that had been on Blaise's face fell off. "But I thought that was just a silly little thing," he said.

"No, it wasn't. You and I stand no chance of ever getting back together."

Many of the Slytherins began to watch. This was interesting: Blaise Zabini in a fight with Hermione Granger. That never happened before. Everyone knew they were always on good terms. Never would they think to see the day that Hermione Granger would break it off.

"Hermione, you're delusional. What has gotten into you lately?" Blaise asked.

"I'm fine. I'm just sick of you," Hermione said. She didn't like him in her world, she wasn't going to start liking him now.

"How can you be sick of me? Do four years mean nothing? We were going to get married, Hermione. Live happily ever after."

_'What?'_ she thought. _'Married? Happily ever after? Surely not. No, he is not the kind of man I want.'_

"Zabini, I really don't want to have to waste such a perfect life by marrying you."

Many of the Slytherins gasped, causing some people from the other houses to look.

"Wh-What?"

"I hate you. You're vile and cruel. You're not even that good looking," Hermione said. Well, at least she was being mean. Only it was to the wrong person...

"And you're one to talk?"

"I just call what I see, Zabini."

Laughs went through the Great Hall. It was at its loudest at the Gryffindor table.

"Come on, Hermione, don't start acting like some sort of saint," Blaise said, standing up. "You've got to be the biggest bully there is."

Blast! She had forgotten all about that.

"I'm not going to bother wasting my time with you," Hermione said, before leaving the Great Hall.

Great. She had just made a fool of herself in front of the entire population of Hogwarts. Acting like Blaise was the worst thing to walk on the planet, when she just happened to be the biggest school bully. Life was cruel.

Not even bothering to think where she was going, Hermione found herself outside by the Black Lake. She flopped down onto the cool grass and let out a long sigh before lying down and closing her eyes.

"This really sucks," she said.

"I'll have to agree with you on that, Granger."

Hermione sat up and looked over to find out who was the mysterious person talking to her, only to see Malfoy standing there in his Gryffindor robes, holding two pieces of toast.

"I thought you might be hungry," he said, handing the food to her, which she took.

"Thanks."

"Can I sit?" Malfoy asked.

"I'm not going to stop you."

"Sorry. Still finding it hard to believe that you're a whole different person," he said before flopping down next to her.

"I'm finding that hard to believe too," she said, taking a bite out of her toast.

"I think you need help," Malfoy said after a moment of silence.

"I'm not delusional like Zabini said, Malfoy. I know what's going on."

"I meant with being all...Slytherin-ee."

"Oh."

"I'm willing to help you," Malfoy said.

"Is it really necessary?" Hermione asked. "I mean, why go on acting like someone I'm not? Why don't I just act like my normal self and let everyone talk?"

"Well that's one way to go, but I was kind of hoping that you would want my help."

Hermione looked at Malfoy, who looked right back at her with a hint of a smile.

"You want to help?" she asked, not quite believing it.

"I like this side of Granger I'm seeing. It's kind of... What's a good word? Kind of mysterious," Malfoy replied. "I want to get to know her."

"Which only proves my point that I should go on acting like myself and not someone I'm not."

"Fair enough."

A warning bell rang off in the distance.

"I guess we should head to class," Malfoy said, getting up and lending a hand for Hermione to take.

"Yeah," she agreed, taking his hand and standing up herself. "We've got..."

"Transfiguration."

"Right, of course."

"Sure you're not delusional?" Malfoy joked.

"I'm as delusional as they get, Malfoy. But let's keep that our little secret."

"Don't we already have one of those?" Malfoy asked as they walked back to the castle together.

* * *

A/N: And on that note, I end the chapter. I wonder how McGonagall is in this parallel universe? Hmmm...

Well you shouldn't have to wait too long for the next chapter. Kind of depending on school work and my stress level, which is really high up there at the moment.

Review if you want.

Until next time,  
Cheers!


	6. Chapter 6

A/n: If you just so happened to have read that author's note that used to be in my profile, you have every right to call me a liar. But please don't. I'm kind of going through a hard time right now and can be a bit sensitive.

However, I'm hoping that this author's note and perhaps the many reviews that I just might get will cheer us all up. I've finished this specific story and will soon be working on the sequel. I actually finished this weeks ago, but I was at 4 different camps only to be home on weekends. Sadly, I can't get a hold of my fabulous beta on weekends.

So, if all goes well, I'll have the rest of this story posted in the next couple of weeks and the beginning of the sequel by the end of August.

On with the story then.

* * *

Chapter 6

Hermione and Draco walked back up to the castle together, only to split apart upon approaching the entrance hall.

Draco insisted that Hermione think over whether or not she should act like herself or…well, herself, only a Slytherin.

Hermione, however, was already coming to a conclusion. She was a horrible actress, very bad at lying, and not all too good at keeping secrets. It was nearly impossible for her to pull it off.

"But it is possible. Just give it a thought," Draco insisted. "I'll see you in class." And then he ran off to class, leaving Hermione standing alone in the hallway. She let out an annoyed sigh. Why was Draco so keen on keeping her a total pain in the arse to everyone she _'supposedly'_ hated? Perhaps Draco was still the same in some ways.

Perhaps the fact that he knew something no one else did made him feel proud. Perhaps...

Hermione dwelled on the thought the whole way to the Transfiguration classroom. At least, what should be the Transfiguration classroom.

Hermione's eyes went wide upon entering the door only to find it empty, besides Peeves and a layer of dust. Hermione did a double take as it seemed Peeves was cleaning off the chalkboard. She swore when the bell went off again, informing her that she was now late for class.

Peeves gave a start when he realized he wasn't alone in the room. "Miss Granger, you should be in class," he said in a gentle voice.

'_No!' _Hermione's mind screamed. _'Peeves CANNOT be different! Merlin, please no!'_

"Are you lost, Miss Granger?" Peeves asked, a bit shocked at Hermione's lack of rudeness.

"I– well you see... I'm only just–"

"Everything all right?"

'_No!__'_

"Yes, fine. I just need to get to Transfiguration."

"Then what leads you here?"

"None of your business," she snapped and instantly regretted it. "Sorry, I'm just–"

"No need to apologize, Miss Granger," Peeves cut her off, his lips quirked in a small smirk. "Off to class you go, then."

But Hermione didn't move. If this wasn't the Transfiguration class, then where was it?

She should have just walked to class with Draco. Though, she was pretty sure he wouldn't have let her. That boy made no sense.

'_Ok, think. What would be the opposite of this class? The dungeons? No, Potions was still there. But then where...?__'_

"Miss Granger, you better be off. You're late as it is, and you've got lots of stairs to climb."

'_Stairs to climb?__'_

"Oh, bloody hell!" Hermione screamed when it dawned on her. She made a mad dash for the stairs, skipping two at a time. Why would Transfiguration be where the Divination class should be? Did that mean there was no Divination? Then that would mean there was no Trelawney? Which would mean...no prophecy. No Voldemort.

Hermione dwelled in her thoughts, not even realizing that she had made it to her class.

She climbed the ladder and entered the classroom.

"Hermione! How nice of you to join us," said a cheerful voice. Hermione felt her jaw drop, and nearly fell over at the sight of McGonagall. Her bun that was usually tight on her head was loose and messy. She sat on her desk with a wide smile on her face.

"Is there a reason you're 10 minutes late?" McGonagall asked.

"I– not really, no."

The Slytherins laughed and a few of the Gyffindors glared. Hermione was the only one to catch Draco's encouraging wink. When she did, she did her best to ignore it.

"No need for the attitude, Hermione," McGonagall said. "Not unless you would rather like a detention. Take a seat."

It was too odd for Hermione to be called by her first name by a teacher who was usually strict, yet still fair. Now she showed up late for class and she didn't get so much as a warning?

"Come on, Hermione. No need to hold up the class."

Hermione looked at all the Slytherins. There were only two empty seats left. One beside Blaise, the other by Pansy Parkinson. Choosing the latter, Hermione took her seat.

"As I was saying..." McGonagall said.

"So is it true?" Pansy asked Hermione in a hushed whisper, distracting her from the lesson.

"Is what true?"

"That the reason you broke up with Blaise is because he got you pregnant and you don't want him to know."

"What!? NO!" Hermione whispered harshly. "Where did you hear that?"

Pansy shrugged. "I heard Weasley say it to Malfoy and Potter. Malfoy didn't seem to agree, though. Seemed to be defending you. Any reason for that?"

Hermione's cheeks tinged a bit. "Why would you assume that?" she asked praying she wasn't giving anything away.

"Hermione, I've known you since before we could walk. I know the signs of when you start to like someone. But why break up with Blaise for it? Not the first time you've dated behind his back. And why the stupid mudblood? I mean, even Weasley is better than the mudblood."

Hermione made a face of dislike. Ron was only a friend. "Don't talk about things you don't understand." Hermione said. "Dra–Malfoy's just helping me out with something."

"Like kissing? Is he a good kisser?" Pansy asked, disregarding what Hermione had just said.

"I haven't kissed him. How would I know?" Hermione snapped back.

"Right," Pansy said, clearly stating she didn't believe a word from Hermione's mouth. "But if your parents ever found out that you were lusting after a mudblood–"

"Would you stop saying that word?" Hermione cut her off. "And I'm not lusting after anyone."

"Hermione, you're a horrible liar."

How could she be a horrible liar if she was telling the truth?

Right...?

"I'm not lying!"

"So when you ask him out, are you going to try and keep it a secret, or just let everyone know and let them deal with the shock themselves?"

"I'm not going to ask Draco out."

"Oooh. First name basis."

Hermione let out a frustrated growl. Would she get in trouble for banging Pansy's head against the desk repeatedly?

"Shut up!"

"I see you're still in a state of denial," Pansy said. "No bother. Won't be long before you admit you like the mudblood."

Oh, how great it would be to punch her in the face.

"Pansy."

Both girls looked up at Professor McGonagall.

"Pansy, will you move up to the front with Blaise so that maybe then you can pay attention to the lesson?"

"But Professor, I can never concentrate when I sit next to Blaise."

"Oh yes, silly me. Hermione? Would you be so kind?"

"What? But I..."

"Go on, Hermione," Pansy said with a Slytherin smirk. "Go kiss and make up."

_'Stupid Slytherins.'_

Hermione got up from her seat and accidentally-on-purpose smacked Pansy across the face with her heavy book and then walked over and sat next to Blaise.

"I'm sorry about earlier," Blaise said as McGonagall went back to the lesson.

"Save it," Hermione said back harshly.

"If you want to take a break, we can."

"I don't want to take a break, Zabini."

"Then what was that all about this morning?"

"Don't you get it? How thickheaded are you? I don't want to be with you. At all. End of story."

"Hermione..." Blaise begged, putting his hand on her knee.

"Remove your hand before I hex it off," Hermione threatened.

"Baby, I love you. We're supposed to be together forever."

"Shut it," Hermione grumbled.

"Baby..."

"Shut up!"

"All right!" McGonagall said. "Time to switch things up again. Ron, you go sit by Blaise and Hermione, you sit between Harry and Draco. Maybe then I can have the class's full attention."

(Thank Merlin McGonagall hadn't changed that much.)

Eager for the change, Hermione got up quickly and swung her bag over her shoulder. It made contact with something, and there was a crack followed by a cry of pain.

Hermione turned to see Blaise's hands covering his face and blood spilling out through the gaps of his fingers.

"Oh no," McGonagall said. "Ron, take Blaise to the hospital wing so that he can have that broken nose mended at once."

Both boys made a face of strong dislike, but followed orders and left for the hospital wing together.

'_Why did everyone require an escort to get to the hospital wing?' _Hermione wondered as, she too, followed McGonagall's orders and sat between Harry and Draco.

She tried her best to keep a straight face and hold back her laugh over the incident –Blaise deserved it!– but the infamous Slytherin smirk appeared on her lips.

"Nice one Hermione," Draco whispered.

Was she ever going to hear the lesson?

"I didn't do it on purpose," she said.

"Give yourself some credit, Hermione. You're not as bad a Slytherin as you think."

Hermione blushed at the compliment. If it was to be taken that way.

"Hey Harry," Draco then whispered across the table. "Are you taking the notes now that Ron's gone?"

"I don't want to. You do it," Harry whispered back.

"I don't want to do it either."

"I'll do it," Hermione volunteered.

"No thanks, Granger," Harry said coldly. "I don't need your stupid notes."

"Don't get mad at her," Draco said.

"Of course. Defend her again," Harry said.

"Harry, I told you–"

"You told him!?" Hermione growled at Draco.

"No, not that. I was only–"

"Tell me what? Keeping secrets from me and Ron now, are you, Draco?"

"No I–"

"Ok, I give up," McGonagall said, throwing her hands up in the air in mock surrender. "Too many side conversations. Class dismissed."

The class cheered and left.

Harry quickly grabbed his things and departed from the room.

"I'm sorry," Hermione said to Draco. "I should have known you wouldn't tell anyone."

"It's ok," he said. "I'm sure that, no matter what universe you're in, Harry still has a wicked temper."

Hermione gave a small smile.

"Well, we still have 45 minutes left of class. Want to go for a walk?" she asked.

Draco mirrored the grin. "I'd love to."

They walked in silence all the way to the entrance hall –_'__Sure, now he can walk with me.__'_ –the whole time ignoring all the curious looks they were receiving. Now the rumors would really start.

'_Perhaps that__'__s why Draco didn__'__t walk with me earlier. No, wait. The halls were completely empty. Does he want to walk with me now that everyone can see? Does he still seek the attention?__'_

"Draco?" Hermione said once they were outside.

"Hermione?"

"Pansy told me that she hard a rumor from Ron saying that I broke up with Blaise because he got me pregnant and I don't want him to be involved with the child's life. She also said you were defending me."

"I wouldn't call it defending so much as really just getting Ron to shut up. He was trying to think up reasons why your behaivor is off."

"Well, the rumors are really going to start now that a bunch of people saw us walking down the halls together."

Draco shrugged. "Let 'em talk. They're only rumors."

'_Maybe my theory isn__'__t too far off.__'_

"You don't make any sense to me," Hermione mumbled, but Draco only grinned.

They walked in silence for a few minutes, before Draco broke it. "So, how long do you think you'll be in this universe?" he asked.

"Depends. I found out that when in a parallel universe there's some sort of goal you have to accomplish. I won't be able to leave until I've done so."

"What do you think your goal is?" Draco asked.

"I have no idea," Hermione said honestly. "It could be so simple and right in front of my face and I wouldn't even know."

"Well," Draco said, plopping down on some grass then lying down. "If you need any help, I'm here."

Hermione shook her head. "So un-Malfoy like."

"What is?"

"Putting others before yourself," Hermione said as she laid down next to Draco.

"I'm a real pain, aren't I?" Draco asked.

"That's the understatement of the year. But yes, yes you are."

"Hermione, have you decided what you're going to do about the whole 'acting like a Slytherin' thing?"

Hermione had expected the question and had an answer ready. "I've decided not to put any extra effort into it and that if I come across as a mean, prejudiced Slytherin, then all the better."

"I suppose that works," Draco said.

"I really don't get you..." Hermione said, her eyes closing.

"Yeah..." Draco agreed, his eyes closing too.

Within a few minutes, both Draco and Hermione were in a peaceful sleep.

* * *

A/n: McGonnagall's parallel universe character is actually roughly based off a teacher I used to have. Never actually learned anything that year.

Any guesses on what Hermione's goal might be?

Next chapter should be soon.

Until then,  
Cheers!


	7. Chapter 7

A/n: A Simba Kiss to all those who reviewed the last chapter. I bet you're wondering what that is. Don't worry, you'll find out.

* * *

Chapter 7

She was in the woods. It was dark except for the quarter moon shining through the trees. The light was dim, but it let her see that she wasn't alone. For there was another man. An old wizard sitting on an old tree stump.

"Professor?" Hermione questioned.

"Hello, Miss Granger," Professor Dumbledore greeted.

"What's going on, Professor?"

"You are merely in a dream, Hermione. Nothing more."

"A dream?"

Did that mean she had accomplished her goal and would soon wake up from her coma like phase to see Harry's and Ron's worried faces turn into excited smiles when they saw she was awake?

"You are yet to accomplish your goal, Hermione," Dumbledore said as if reading her thoughts.

The smile that had began to form on her lips faltered. "Then what–"

"I'm here to give you a clue of sorts, Miss Granger."

"A clue?"

"To help you accomplish your goal."

"Oh. And what is it?" Hermione asked, eager for an answer. She could finally go home.

"The clue is simple, Miss Granger. You must seek love."

"Love?"

"That's it. Simple as that."

Simple as that? Crazy old man knew nothing.

"So all I have to do is...seek love?"

"Something of those sorts," Dumbledore said with that twinkle in his eye. It was as if he knew everything but was making you figure it out all on your own. Mean crazy old man.

"But that doesn't help at all," Hermione protested. "Where am I supposed to find 'love'?"

"I'm afraid I can't answer that, Miss Granger. You have to find the answer to that yourself."

"But.."

"Good day, Hermione," Dumbledore said, standing. "May the quest come easy to you." And then he walked off into the trees, darkness surrounding him. And soon, he was gone.

* * *

The smell of grass and cheep men's cologne filled Hermione's nostrils. Where was she? And then the memory from earlier came to mind. The walk with Draco and then falling asleep.

That had certainly been an odd dream. And there was no way it was going to be so simple. Finding love, that is.

She sat up slightly, only to realize that she had been using Draco's chest as a pillow. Hermione then realized that he had his arm wrapped tightly around her waist, holding her close. She also noticed the fact that it was darker than when they had fallen asleep. The sun was now setting.

She let out a gasp. They had slept through classes. They must have slept for hours!

"Draco," she said, trying to shake him awake. "Draco, we missed the rest of our classes."

"I'll feed the horses tomorrow," Draco said, letting go of Hermione's waist and rolling over.

"Horses?" she gave a huff. "Draco, get up! Time to wake up."

"They'll be fine until tomorrow," Darco insisted, still asleep.

"Draco!" Hermione growled, now starting to hit Draco to get him awake. There was no way he could still be asleep, but he still played the part. He wouldn't get up. He would only roll over and mumble about feeding the horses.

"I know you're awake."

"I said tomorrow..."

Hermione sighed, defeated on that approach.

"Draco," Hermione said harshly. "If you don't wake up now I'm going to..." What would she do? "I'm going to...I'm going to kiss you."

Draco's movements stilled, but he still kept his eyes firmly shut, trying to still pull off the sleeping look. Hermione's heart beat fast in her chest. She hadn't honestly meant that.

"Will you wake up now?" Hermione asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

Draco didn't move.

"Draco, I mean it."

Nothing.

Hermione changed her seating position so that she could now see Draco's face. His eyes were shut tight. His lips were sealed together, though slightly puckered out.

"Draco," Hermione tried one last time. "Please get up."

He stayed firm.

Did he actually want her to kiss him? Only one way to find out. She leaned forward, bringing her lips down to meet his. Then, she got an idea.

Her lips changed course and she stuck her tongue out before running it across Draco's pale cheek.

"Aaarrgh!"

Hermione leaned back as Draco scrambled to sit up.

"What was that!?" he screamed, a bit of the true Draco Malfoy showing.

"A Simba kis,." Hermione said, in a matter of fact voice.

"What's a Simba kiss?"

"This," Hermione said, leaning forward and licking Draco's other cheek.

"Disgusting!" Draco exclaimed, wiping at his other cheek.

Hermione laughed.

"That was uncalled for, Hermione. I'm going to have to get you back." And then Draco took his hands and grabbed at Hermione's waist and began to tickle her. She let out a squeal and then began to squirm, trying to get away from his tickling hands.

"Stop! Draco, stop it! I mean it!" Hermione said unconvincingly as she laughed.

"Had enough, Hermione?" Draco asked.

"Yes! Yes! Stop!"

He did, laughing slightly himself as Hermione continued to giggle, trying to catch her breath.

"Now, Hermione," Draco said. "I'm going to teach you how to really kiss."

Hermione's eyes went wide as they met with Draco's, which seemed to be getting closer. His lips were coming down to meet hers and she wasn't doing anything to stop him. Closer, closer... Then all of the sudden, Draco's tongue was all over her face. Her cheeks, her forehead, her chin, and her nose.

Hermione let out a squeal and once again tried to squirm her way free, but just as before, she was unsuccessful. Draco didn't stop until Hermione's face was covered in his own saliva.

And then he pulled back, his eyes meeting with Hermione's and her stomach did a couple of flips.

"That's how you properly kiss," Draco said softly.

"Is not," Hermione said. "This is how." And without any second thought, she wrapped her arms around Draco's neck and brought their lips together for a real kiss.

The first thought that occurred to Hermione was that Draco's lips were soft and tasted slightly of cherries. Then the fact that Draco was an excellent kisser. And then that she was kissing Draco Malfoy.

But it was a whole different person really. Sort of... She was kissing the Draco Malfoy that in her universe no one ever saw, but he was still there. Buried deep down inside. Hidden under all the hate.

Hermione was kissing the real Draco Malfoy and suddenly, she wanted to be back in her universe more then ever. She wanted to uncover the Draco Malfoy no one ever saw. To show the world that he wasn't all that bad.

How long Draco and Hermione kissed will forever remain a mystery. But it certainly couldn't have been that long before they were interrupted.

"Oh. Sorry!"

Draco and Hermione broke apart to see Ginny Weasley's retreating back.

"She's scared of me," Hermione said.

"She would be," Draco replied, arms still wrapped around her waist.

"But why?"

"Out of all the kids here at Hogwarts, she's the one you pick on the most. Her first year here you tripped her and she fell down some stairs and broke her leg."

"Oh my gosh. I didn't!" Hermione asked, shocked at her cruelness.

"You constantly tease her about how she has no friends and how she isn't very good at doing some simple spells. You're always bringing her down. It's why Harry and Ron, and even I, really hate you."

"I'm so sorry! I'm such a horrible person."

"Don't be. It's a whole different person, really. Nothing like the Hermione who's with me right now."

"But it's really just the person deep down inside me."

"But you chose to be the better person -in your universe anyway- and that makes all the difference."

'That's really sappy. And so...Dumbledore-ish," Hermione said.

"Aw, why'd you go and say that? You've killed the mood now."

They both laughed.

"I really wish I didn't scare her off enough to keep her from talking to me," Hermione said after her laughter subsided. "I would tell her the truth. She's the only girl I can really talk to. In my universe, that is."

"Is there anyone I scare as much, if not worse?" Draco asked.

"In my universe it would be Neville Longbottom. Although, he's gotten a lot braver now in the last couple of years."

"You're kidding!" Draco exclaimed finally letting go of her waist. "Neville Longbottom?"

"What about him?"

"Neville Longbottom? The ladies' man?"

"Ladies' what?"

"All the girls swoon over him. They're all in love with Neville. He's dated about half the girls our age."

"I never..." Hermione began, but then lost her nerve.

Draco seemed to get the question though, and answered. "Dated Neville? Not to my knowledge, but you kept all your second boyfriends pretty quiet."

"I'm such a slut," Hermione groaned, putting her head in her hands.

"Hey," Draco said, lifting her chin with his fingers so he could look her in the eyes."You are not a slut."

"Yes I am! I date guys behind my boyfriend's back. I'm the biggest bully ever! I'm worse than you. How can anyone get along with me? I'm a horrible wench. I'm a–"

Draco cut her off by pressing his lips to hers and Hermione accepted the kiss without question.

"Oi!"

They broke apart again. This time it had been Harry and Ron who had interrupted them.

"What the bloody hell is going on here?" Ron asked. "Ginny told me you were snogging Granger, but I didn't want to believe it."

"I can explain," Draco said, standing up.

"How's that, Draco?" Harry asked.

"Well you see..." He looked down at Hermione, who still sat on the grass.

"Go on Draco, explain it to us."

"I–well..."

"I'm not Hermione Granger as you know her," Hermione said, now standing up.

The two boys from the original trio rolled their eyes.

"It's true," Hermione insisted. "I'm Hermione Granger, only from a different universe."

"And what makes you think we'd believe that?" Ron asked. "You're probably just using him."

"I'm not using him. Look, I know tons about you two. Ron, you're afraid of spiders and Harry, you can talk to snakes and–"

"Are you mental?" Harry cut in. "Talking to snakes? Ron afraid of spiders?"

Blast! Stupid parallel universe.

"The Marauder's Map!" Hermione tried again. She knew she succeeded when Harry's face went blank. "And your father's invisibility cloak."

"You nicked his stuff!" Ron shouted.

"No!" Hermione cried. "I know about it because in a parallel universe I'm your best friend and Draco's the Slytherin we all hate."

"Doesn't stop you from kissing him, does it?" Harry snapped.

"You guys, she's telling the truth," Draco said.

"How do you know? What makes you so sure?"

"I...well. I just do, all right?"

"Why would I even be hanging out with him if it wasn't true?" Hermione asked. "He's just a filthy mudblood, right? And I'm the pureblood, better than the rest of you. So why waste my time here?"

"I don't know how your evil Slytherin mind works, Granger," Ron said, glaring at her.

Hermione desperately wished to smack Ron. But seeing as that wouldn't help the situation, she held back. She needed something that would prove to them that she wasn't lying.

Hermione searched her brain while the other boys argued. _'__Ok, think. Things are different here, but some things stay the same. Voldemort no longer exist. But what if he did? What if he was defeated before the prophecy? Which would mean there would still be__–"_

"The Order of the Phoenix," Hermione said.

The three boys instantly stopped bickering and all turned to Hermione, shock clearly written on their faces.

"How do you know about the Order?" Harry asked. "The only way you could know about the Order–"

"Is if I was telling the truth."

No one said anything for quite some time. They all just stared at one another, waiting for someone else to speak. The sun had completely set before Ron spoke up.

"Should we get dinner then?"

"Yeah," Harry said, dropping eye contact with Hermione. "Let's go."

And Harry, always the leader, led the way which Ron followed.

"Are you coming, Draco?" Ron threw over his shoulder.

"I'll meet you in the great hall," Draco told them.

As soon as they left, Hermione, who was so overwhelmed, put her hands over her mouth and screamed until she had nothing left to scream.

"This parallel universe is so confusing!" she said after removing her hands.

Draco only nodded.

"I mean, with some things being completely different and then some things staying the same. It's not only a parallel universe, but a totally different time line. I hate it!" Hermione stomped her foot like a child. "I hate it! I hate it! I hate it!" She didn't even care that hot tears ran down her face. "I want to go home..."

And then Draco was by her side, wrapping his arms around her and wiping away her tears. "Shh… Hermione, it will be ok. You'll accomplish your goal soon enough and then you can go back to your universe."

"Draco," Hermione pulled back from the embrace. "I had a dream."

"A dream? Was it a good dream?"

"Sort of. In my dream I was given a clue to help me with my goal."

"What was the clue?" Draco asked.

"I... I have to seek love."

"Seek love? As in, fall in love?" Draco asked after a moment of silence. "Well, that should be easy enough, right?"

'Right..." Hermione whispered.

They walked back to the castle, making small talk.

"Meet me after dinner," Draco said to Hermione before they entered the Great Hall. He then gave her a Simba kiss on her left cheek and entered the Great Hall, a slight bounce in his step.

To say that Hermione was confused would be quite the understatement.

* * *

Reviewers don't have to feed the horses. And for those who are confused about the Simba kiss, watch the Lion King.

Next chapter should be soon.

Until then,

Cheers!


	8. Chapter 8

A/n: Here you go, my darling readers, the most cliché chapter of them all.

Chapter 8

Hermione slowly walked over to the Slytherin table. _'What is Draco playing at?'_ she asked herself as she sat down at the table, doing her best to sit as far away from Blaise as possible. But it didn't help any.

Before Hermione could as much as think about how Draco's mind worked, Blaise had gotten out of his own seat and was now walking towards Hermione.

"Move," he snapped at the third year that sat next to Hermione, who eagerly obeyed. Blaise then took the seat. "Hermione, where were you during all the classes today? I started to get worried, so I checked the hospital wing, but you weren't there. Everything all right, babe?"

Hermione bit down on her bottom lip to try and keep her annoyance under control. "Where I was is none of your business," she said harshly.

"It is too!" Blaise objected. "If anything happened to you–"

"When will you get it through your thick head, Zabini?" Hermione all but shouted. "You're like some lost puppy dog. How hard is it for you to get the simple concept that I don't want to be with– hmmhphh..."

Hermione's rant was cut off by a pair of lips being firmly pressed to her own. She desperately tried to push Blaise away, but he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. And Blaise being much stronger than Hermione, it only made her attempt a failure.

And then, what only a true Slytherin could do, a tongue slipped passed her unwilling lips and into her even less willing mouth. It took all of her will power not to throw up. Though maybe that wouldn't have been such a bad idea...

"Oi!" someone shouted from across the Great Hall. "What do you think you're doing!?"

Blaise pulled back from the one-sided kiss to see who dared disturb him from kissing Hermione. The latter took the moment to slip away from Blaise's grip and took 3 steps back, spitting out the taste he had left in her mouth.

In the time it took Hermione to recover from the kiss, the saint who had dared to disturb it had walked over.

It was Draco Malfoy.

He was now standing before Blaise, a look of pure hatred on his face. "Get your hands off her, Zabini," Draco said through gritted teeth.

"Back off, Malfoy. This isn't any of your business," Blaise said rather calmly.

"It is too my business."

"How is it any business of yours, you filthy mudblood?"

"Don't call him that," Hermione snapped.

"Are you defending him?" Blaise asked, a shocked expression on his face, which many of the student body mirrored.

"So what if I am?"

"What the hell has happened to you!? What happened to my girlfriend!?"

"She's gone Zabini, so give it a rest," Hermione said. "Come on, Draco, let's go for a walk."

"You're going to regret choosing the mudblood over me, Hermione."

"I never hold any regrets," Hermione glared at Blaise and then grabbed Draco by the wrist and nearly dragged him out of the Great Hall.

"Where are we going?" Draco asked when he realized they weren't going outside.

"The kitchens," Hermione answered. "I'm still hungry."

"You know where the kitchens are?"

"In my universe, yes. I can only hope it's still the same here."

"Thanks for standing up to Blaise for me," Draco said after a moment of silence.

"I should really be thanking you. That kiss was vile."

"You're welcome."

"Why did you stop it?" Hermione asked.

"Huh?"

"Why did you stop Zabini from kissing me?"

"Well, I... Because you..."

"Here we are," Hermione said stopping at a painting of a bowl of fruits, making Draco nearly run into her. Hermione reached out to tickle the pear, but nothing happened. She frowned in thought.

"Wow. Quite a fancy kitchen our school has," Draco said sarcastically.

"Draco, what's the opposite of a pear?" Hermione asked, ignoring his comment.

"I don't know. Do fruits have opposites?"

"Yes. Now what is it?"

"I– uh... a plum?"

"There isn't a plum in the picture, Draco. Now come on, seriously, what's the opposite?"

"Uh...a peach?"

Hermione tickled the peach and a doorknob appeared.

"Whoa."

"So you were saying?" Hermione asked Draco as they entered the kitchen where all the house elves were busy at work.

"I was saying?"

"Why you stopped the kiss."

"Oh, yeah. Well... you, uh, didn't seem to be enjoying it, so I just... sorta thought I would help."

"Mmmhmm," Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"So, uh... what are we eating?" Draco said, desperate for a change in the conversation.

"Whatever the house elves give us. I see they still don't have rights."

"Don't have rights? How many more rights can a house elf get?"

"What do you mean?" Hermione couldn't help but to ask.

"They've got a whole community. They only work for wizards for money. And they get paid damn well for doing so."

"Oh..." Was all Hermione could say as the house elves finally started to serve them.

"Why don't we take this all outside?" Draco asked. "We could have a moonlight picnic out by the lake."

"I...yeah, sure."

One of the house elves conjured up a picnic basket and started to put food in it.

"Two gallons," the house elf said, holding out the basket in one hand and the other one out, ready to receive the money.

"I, uh..."

"Don't worry about it. I'll get it," Draco said pulling out the two coins and handing them to the house elf. "Occasionally, you'll get an elf who likes to work without pay. Says it's for service."

Hermione couldn't help but to laugh.

"Let's go then," Draco said, taking the basket and linking arms with Hermione, and then led the way.

They talked all the way down to the lake. Mostly about their universes and what was the same and what was different. But something else was on Hermione's mind the whole time. She planned on getting to the bottom of it. What had Draco meant when he had said it wouldn't be hard for her to find love?

"I just can't imagine Binns being boring," Draco was saying as they approached the lake. "He's just about everyone's favorite teacher."

"Well, I can't imagine him being entertaining. The most he's ever done was enter the classroom through the chalkboard."

"Is this a good spot for a picnic?" Draco asked, changing the conversation completely.

"It's fine."

"Are you sure? We could find some place else."

"Draco, it's fine. Honest."

"If you're sure," Draco said as he started to set up.

Ok, Hermione had to know the answer to her question. But how to go about asking it? Straight forward, or beat around the bush?

"Are you going to sit down?" Draco asked, already sitting.

"Oh. Yeah. Sorry," Hermione said, sitting down next to him.

"Something wrong, Hermione?"

"Now that you mention it..."

Now was the time to get the answers to those bothersome questions.

"What is it? Can I help?"

Hermione sighed, slightly annoyed. "Draco, I want to ask you some questions and I want you to answer me, being completely honest. Can you do that?"

"Anything for you, Hermione."

She sighed again. "Ok, right."

'_How do I word this?'_

"Ok...Draco, what– what do you think we are? You and I?"

"You mean, like a couple?"

"Is that how you see us?"

Draco blushed a bit. "I see us... however you want to see us, I guess."

"You guess?"

"Yeah..."

"Do you want to be my boyfriend?"

"Yes!" Draco said, without missing a beat and then blushed deeper than before.

"What is it that attracts you to me, Draco?"

Draco looked really embarrassed, now blushing a shade of red that would make any Weasley proud.

"Truth be told... I liked you even before the new, nice Hermione came along."

"Really?" Hermione asked, shocked. "Why?"

"I guess it was because... I don't know. You just stood out compared to all those other girls. I started to crush on you a long time ago. But you were always so mean and dating Zabini and... You're really pretty and smart and, when you're nice, you're nearly just about irresistible..." He trailed off.

Hermione smiled, satisfied with his answer. "And so when you saw that I was different, you saw it as your chance?"

"Yes..." Draco mumbled.

Ok, now for the question that had been nagging at her the whole night. "Earlier, when I told you about my dream, you said it shouldn't be too hard for me to find love. Why?"

Draco looked away. "I might uh... it might have been more than just a crush."

"You were in love with me?" Hermione asked.

Draco shook his head.

"Then what do you mean?"

"I do love you," he said.

"Oh my gosh..."

"I'm sorry. You're just... it's just that... You don't have to say it, if you don't want to," Draco said, all rather quickly.

"You don't have to be sorry Draco. It just comes as a bit of a shock. And it still doesn't makes accomplishing this goal any easier."

Draco looked at Hermione, clearly confused.

"Draco, though you're in love with me, I'm not in love with you. You said I didn't have to say it. And I'm not one to say such things unless I know I mean it. I don't like empty words."

Draco gave a stiff nod. "I know but...I was kind of hoping..." he trailed off, losing his nerve.

Hermione, however, knew what he was implying. He was hoping that she, Hermione Granger, would fall in love with him, Draco Malfoy.

Not a chance.

Right?

Right...

"Draco... I–"

"I know. It's just that..."

"I've never been in love," Hermione confessed. "I don't know what it's like. How it feels..."

"Love is when you care more about someone else than you do yourself. When that someone's happiness means more to you than your own and you would do anything to make that person happy. When you're in love... that person is all that matters."

"But...what about all that other stuff?"

"You mean the whole, 'You can never get that person off your mind, no matter how hard you try; you dream of them; the sound of their name makes you smile, though sometimes you have to hide it'?"

"Yeah, all that cliché stuff."

"That's more like puppy love. Unless, of course, that person is all that matters. Then it makes perfect sense."

"I have another question," Hermione said, desperate for a change of topic.

"What is it?"

"After I accomplish my goal -if I ever- when I get back to my universe and things go back to normal, like you calling me mudblood… Well...how am I supposed not to take it as an insult?"

"I was wondering the same thing."

"So, what do we do? Do we make some code that only we would get or...what?"

"Um...maybe make the words stand for something. Like... Mudblood: My Unique Darling Beautiful Luscious Odd Original Dancer..."

Hermione guffawed. "Draco, that's horrible."

"Oh, and you could do better?"

"Are you challenging me?"

"I believe so. Scared?"

"You wish."

"Go on, then. You give it a shot if you think it's so easy."

"Mudblood: Mary Ungracefully Died Because Lanius Offered Oliver's Diary."

"What the hell is that!?" Draco asked, rolling around with laughter.

"It made more sense in my head," Hermione objected.

"Yeah, and that's the only place."

Hermione folded her arms in a pout. "Meany," she said.

"Oh, that's mature."

Hermione huffed, stood and then walked to the water's edge where she sat down.

"Oh, come on, Hermione, I didn't mean to make you upset," Draco stood and walked up behind her. "Hermione, I'm sor–"

There was a loud SPLAT as mud made contact with Draco's face. Hermione roared with laughter after seeing the look of shock on his face. His mouth had been open as he had been half way through saying a word. The mud had even gotten into his hair.

Spitting out a mouthful of mud, Draco turned to Hermione, who was rolling around, clutching her sides as she laughed. Draco did his best to look angry. "I'm going to get you back for that," he mumbled.

Quickly and quietly, Draco went to the water's edge and scooped up a handful of mud. And just as quickly and quietly, Draco snuck up on the unexpecting Hermione. She didn't even have a second's warning before the mud made contact her with her face. She let out a scream and now it was Draco's turn to laugh.

Wasting no time, Hermione got up from the ground, jumped over Draco, who was laughing hard on the ground, ran to the water's edge, and scooped up as much mud as possible.

Draco, who had stopped laughing as soon as Hermione jumped over him, had stood up and was only just turning to look at Hermione when he was hit on the chest with a gunk of mud.

He looked at Hermione who stood by the water's edge, her hands covered in the liquid/solid gunk. Draco ran forward as Hermione turned to get more mud. Draco was just as quick and soon, the two of them were in a mud/water fight of sorts.

They were laughing and screaming and yelling too. All the while, throwing mud and kicking water at one another. Draco was walking backwards while throwing mud at the advancing Hermione when he tripped.

There was a loud splash and Draco let out a cry of pain.

"Draco!" Hermione cried out, dropping the mud from her hands and running to him as quickly as one could in water. "Draco, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just cut my hand on a sharp rock."

"Let me see."

Draco held out his right hand.

"I can't see. It's too dark."

"Here," Draco said pulling out his wand. "Lumos."

"Merlin, that's a deep cut," Hermione said.

"Thank Merlin for magic, or I'd have to get stitches," Draco said.

Hermione looked at him oddly, forgetting about the whole parallel universe and such.

"What? I'm a muggleborn, remember?" Draco said.

"Oh, yeah…" Hermione said, looking back at the wound. She then looked back at Draco and beamed.

"What are you grinning about? I'm bleeding here. May just be dying. You never know."

"Sorry, it's just..." She covered Draco's injured hand with one of her filthy ones.

"Hey! Don't do that!" Draco said, pulling his hand away from hers.

"Don't do what?"

"Get dirt in the wound. There's more of a chance of it getting infected that way."

"Pardon?"

"My parents are doctors," Draco said, now using his wand to clean the wound.

"Both of them?"

"Yeah." He pulled a first aid kit from his robe's pocket. "Here, put a band aid on it and it should be fine. But wash your hands off first!"

"How is a band aid going to help? Just a moment ago you said you would need stitches."

"Magic, duh." Daco said, waving his wand. "Just put a band aid on."

Rolling her eyes, Hermione bent over and used the lake water to wash off the mud off her hands, and then used her robes to dry them off.

"I don't know about you Draco," she said as she bandaged him up and thinking about what she was going to say before he freaked out, "but every time someone says mudblood, I'm going to think back on this exact moment."

"Puts a whole new meaning to the word, doesn't it?"

"Suppose our food is really cold now," Hermione said.

"Suppose so."

"And Filtch is going to flip the switch if he sees us tracking mud around the castle."

"Filtch?"

"Oh yeah, parallel universe. How could I forget?" she said sarcastically.

Draco didn't say anything.

"Draco?"

And just like Blaise's kiss from only a couple hours earlier, Draco's lips unexpectedly made contact with Hermione's. But unlike the kiss with Blaise, Hermione kissed back.

* * *

A/n: How cliché am I for ending the chapter with them kissing? Anyway only a couple more chapters left. Review while you still can! 


	9. Chapter 9

The world has many ways of describing the joys of kissing: electrifying, miraculous, breathtaking... But sometimes, like now, for instance, words alone can't be enough. And that is exactly how one Hermione Granger felt as she continued to kiss Draco Malfoy.

It always feels like an eternity and yet still is never long enough. But eventually, the two broke apart from their kiss.

Hermione's heart pounded in her chest like a caged animal trying to get free. She had had kisses before, but none would ever be able to compare to that.

They continued to hold on to one another, gazing into the other's eyes, when the sweet silence was interrupted by the growl of a hungry stomach.

"Sorry," Hermione said, "I guess I should really eat before starvation becomes too great and I kneel over and die"

"I guess cold chicken wont be too bad." Draco smiled and released Hermione and started to dig through the picnic basket.

Hermione sat down next to him and they began to feast on the cold meal in a comfortable silence. Finally stuffed and happy,

Hermione sighed and lay back on the grass.

"The stars are gorgeous," she commented.

Draco looked up and nodded, laying back himself.

"It's nice," Hermione said, "That no matter what universe you're in, the stars will stay the same"

"How do you figure that"

"Because the sky never changes"

"Interesting..." Draco yawned.

Hermione smiled at his lack of enthusiasm.

"Good night, Draco"

"G'night"

Hermione closed her eyes, cuddling close to Draco and soon, she was fast asleep.

* * *

"Congratulations, Miss Granger"

Hermione turned around sharply and saw Professor Dumbledore coming into the clearing circled by the forest trees.

"Professor"

"You've found it, Hermione," he said.

"Found it? Found what"

"You were to seek love and you found it," Dumbeldore told her as he sat down on the same tree stump that he had in the last dream.

"I--No. I can't have"

"You have. And now it's time for you to return"

"But--I"

"You have no choice in the matter, Miss Granger. You can, however, have a short while to say goodbye"

"Goodbye"

"Yes. Now hurry along then. Your friends are very worried for you. I dare say, Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley have hardly left your side. Aside for classes, of course"

"Harry? Ron"

"Yes. Now hurry. Though love has been found here, there is one place with one boy who lacks it, and you are the only one who can help him find it"

"But professor, I--" But it was too late. Before Hermione could finish, everything went black.

* * *

Hermione heard the faint sound of a bird chirping. She slowly opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. She was still outside and still in the arms of Draco.

Draco!

Hermione sat up, ignoring the chill the early morning caused. "Draco!" she began to shake him.

"No ice cream until after dinner," he mumbled.

"Draco Malfoy, you wake up right now or I'll rip off your pretty little nose"

Draco stirred and then blinked as he awoke. "What is it? Why's it so cold? Was I snoring"

"I love you"

"What?" Draco sat up now.

"I love you and I only just realized it. Listen, Draco, I haven't got much time. I'm going back, which means the old Hermione is coming back"

"You're leaving"

"Yes. Now, Draco, promise me that when the original Hermione comes back, you wont give up on her. You'll be able to break her eventually. Because I'm in there somewhere. Promise"

"Yes, of course, Hermione"

"I really do love you, Draco"

"I love you, too"

Hermione leaned forward and captured Draco's lips with her own. "I wish I didn't have to go." She whispered against his lips.  
"You have to go make me fall in love with you now," Draco told her.

She chuckled. "Oh, the irony"

"Don't forget: MUDBLOOD"

She laughed again. "You can't either"

"I wont"

Before another word could be said, Hermione was surrounded by darkness. The world she had come to love was gone forever now.

* * *

The Potions door was opened, letting in the damp air into the already cold room.

"Professor Snape, I▓m sorry to interrupt," said a young boy, probably a 3rd year. "But Potter and Weasley are needed in the infirmary"

Harry and Ron shared a look before standing up, gathering their books and packing them away.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, I want an essay tomorrow, 3 inches long on the importance of this potion," Snape drawled.

"Yes, Sir," the boys replied, before making way to the infirmary.

"What's going on?" Ron asked the boy who had been sent to retrieve them.

"No idea," he said. "I went to get something for my headache, and then I was sent to get you. I'm just going go to now, since I think you two can be trusted enough to find the hospital wing on your own." With that said, the boy went down a different corridor, leaving Harry and Ron on their own.

"Great help that git was," Ron growled.

Harry only nodded, too anxious to find out why they had been called out of class to the infirmary. Was Hermione ok?  
"Good, you're here," Madam Pomfrey said when the boys entered the Hospital Wing.

"What is it? Is Hermione alright"

"Yes, yes. She's fine. In fact, she's starting to wake up. That's why I called for you"

Both boys quickly crossed the distance of the room and went to the side of Hermione's bed. She lay there on the bed, her eyes shut tight, but she was squirming as if in a nightmare.

"Is she ok? What do we do?" Ron asked.

"She's fine. Just give her a moment," Pomfrey replied.

Harry and Ron stared at Hermione as she continued to roll around on the bed. Ron took hold of her hand, looking at her desperately, as if begging for her to wake.

And then, her eyes fluttered opened and she blinked.

"Draco?" she questioned.

"Hermione!" Ron yelled, ignoring her earlier words only moments sooner. He pulled her into a bone crushing hug.

"I'll give you three some time to catch up," Pomfrey said, leaving the three friends alone.

"R--Ron"

"Hermione, you're alright! We were so worried about you," Harry said as Ron released Hermione from the hug.

"Harry"

"Yes, it's us," Ron said.

"Where's Draco?" Hermione looked around the room, lost.

"Draco? Hermione, what are you talking about"

"I--"

"Well, in any case, welcome back, Hermione," Harry said.

Hermione lay there, still lost.

"Pomfrey told us you were in a parallel universe." Ron exclaimed. "What's it like"

And then it dawned on her. She was back. Hermione Granger was back to the universe she recognized as her own. She was in the Hogwarts' infirmary, not out by the lake, wrapped in Draco's arms, telling him that she loved him.

She was with Harry and Ron. Who had both been so worried about her. Who were now by her side, begging for her to tell stories. She was back.

But then why wasn't she as happy as she thought she should be? Why did it feel like there was this great big empty place? Because she didn't have Draco, that's why. She was still in love with Draco Malfoy, no matter what universe she was in.

Bloody fantastic.

"Come on Hermione, tell us," Ron said, pulling Hermione from her thoughts. "What was it like? Were we all still friends"  
Hermione grinned, glad to be back with her old friends. She had missed them terribly.

"Actually, it was quite the opposite," she told them. "You two HATED me"

"We did?" Harry asked. "But why"

"Because I was a Slytherin and you two were Gryffindors"

"No way!"

Hermione giggled. "It's true. And Draco was a Gryffindor and he was your best friend"

"Not bloody likely!" Ron shouted.

"Yes, 'bloody likely'." Hermione said. "You should've seen my shocked state when I found out. Though, I suppose you did... Anyway, I ended up fainting"

"So what happened?" Harry asked. "Did we end up becoming friends"

"Well, I'll tell you," Hermione said, deciding then and there that it was best not to keep any secrets from her two best friends. She had taken them for granted too long, and it was about high time she put her complete trust into them. Secrets and all.  
With that in mind, Hermoine went into a full story about her time in the parallel universe.

"You fell in love...with Malfoy!?" Harry asked as Hermione's story came to a close.

She nodded, a slight grin on her face. "If I hadn't, I would still be there. I told you this already"

"But it's in the past, right?" Ron asked. "Right?" He repeated when Hermione didn't reply.

You just couldn't make everyone happy no matter how much you wished for it to happen.

"Bloody hell, you're going to go after him, aren't you"

"I--" Hermione started.

"I can't believe this!" Ron shouted and got up. "Talk to me when you come back to sanity"

"Ron!" Hermione cried out, but she went ignored as Ron left the room in a state of rage.

She looked to Harry for help, who only shrugged. Oh yeah, he was always a great help when it came to these sort of situations.

"This is brilliant," Hermione said sarcastically. "I finally make peace with the other universe, and then this one is all messed up"

"It's ok, Hermione." Harry put a hand on her shoulder in a comforting gesture. "Things will fall into place"

"I really hope you're right, Harry, because, Merlin help me, Ron is right. I do plan on going after Draco. I plan on winning his heart"

"Good luck with that..." Harry said awkwardly.

* * *

A/n: That's not it yet, guys. There's still an epilogue, so hang tight. Poor Hermione, she finally realizes she's in love with Draco Malfoy, only to have that happiness sucked away. Then she trusts Harry and Ron enough to tell them everything, and Ron gets all jealous and mad and... Yeah, well, maybe, just maybe, they'll make up...eventually.

Remember to review. It's nice to know that I am loved, even though it might not be me you really love, but in fact the story.


	10. Epilogue

A/n: You are all amazing! Thanks to all those who reviewed. I feel so loved! So here it is. The final chapter of Another Life. And as I've mentioned to some in review replies, there will be a sequel. If you're at all interested, I strongly suggest you read the A/N in my profile. As for now, here is the epilogue. Enjoy.

* * *

Hermione was released from the Hospital Wing the next morning. After a quick stop to the Gryffindor common room to get her school books and other such things, she made her way down to the Great Hall for some breakfast. 

She adjusted the weight of her bag on her shoulder. Hermione was glad to be back in her universe. Back with the teachers she knew all to well. She had lots to catch up on. Classes didn't stop for her, and she wasn't about to let herself fall behind. 

But even though she was overjoyed to be back, she missed the other universe in spite of only having been there for a short while. She missed the Draco Malfoy she had fallen in love with there. But she knew he was here too. Only...deep down inside the Draco Malfoy most people were accustomed to. 

Speaking of which, there he was now, talking with Blaise Zabini. Hermione shuddered a bit in memory of that dreadful kiss she had experienced with Zabini. 

The two Slytherins saw her staring. Draco sneered in the most Malfoy-ish way, but Blaise, however, gave her a gold hard glare. Worse than any glare she had ever received. 

Shaking her head, Hermione dropped eye contact and finished her walk to the Great Hall. 

She saw Harry in deep conversation with Ron when she entered the Great Hall. Ron was still being a pain in the butt, and Harry wasn't helping much either. Hermione walked the distance to the two. Ron saw her first and stared at her angrily for a moment, before grabbing his school bag and departing. 

Hermione gave a sad sigh as she took a seat next to Harry. "He's still upset with me then?" 

Harry nodded and hid his face behind a plate of sausage and eggs. Hermione looked over to the Slytherin Table, where Draco had just sat down. It wouldn't be easy getting Draco to fall for Hermione, but it was possible. With lots of hard work. 

"Would you stop staring at him?" Harry asked. 

Hermione looked back to Harry who was glaring in Malfoy's direction, looking fairly annoyed. Hermione didn't know how to respond, so she settled with, "What?" 

"Just don't...look at him. You get this weird look in your eyes and it's just..." he trailed off. 

"What are you talking about, Harry?" 

"I'm talking about how you're all in love with Malfoy!" Harry said just a tad bit too loudly. 

A few other people had heard what Harry had shouted and looked in their direction. Including Malfoy and Zabini, who continued to glare at Hermione. 

Hermione blushed deeply. "I don't see what the problem is, Harry," she said, trying to keep eye contact with him and not wander off over to Draco. 

"The problem is, Hermione, that all that love stuff happened in the parallel universe. It's not the same here, so you need to stop acting like it is." 

"Harry..." 

"I mean, Draco Malfoy!? Just...how long do you think it will be like this? How long will it be before you get your common sense and things go back to normal?" 

"Harry, they won't. I love Draco, and it's not about to change." 

"You only _think_ you love Draco." 

"Why are you being so immature about this? You were fine about this last night." 

"That's because last night I thought you were still in LaLa land," Harry exclaimed. 

Hermione glared. "You know what, Harry? I would expect this sort of behavior from Ron, but not from you. I'll see you later, when you've got _your_ common sense back." After those words, Hermione stood and, after grabbing her things, she exited the Great Hall, oblivious to the fact that she was being followed. 

Hermione didn't exactly know where she was going. All she knew was that she was walking to blow off steam. She soon found herself out by the Black Lake. The same spot where she had told Draco she loved him. 

She couldn't help but smile in memory. She bent over and picked up a rock, before throwing it into the lake as far as she could. 

And then someone spoke from behind her, making their presence known. 

"Out all by yourself, Mudblood?" 

Hermione quickly turned her foot to see Blaise Zabini behind her, his arms folded over his chest and the usual infamous Slytherin smirk on his face. 

"Why out alone? Shouldn't you be with your Gryffindor buddies?" 

"What do you want, Zabini?" Hermione asked casually. 

Zabini stepped closer and Hermione took a step back, her foot getting soaked from the lake water. Another step forward and, before Hermione could so much as think to take a step back, Zabini grabbed her, holding her as to make escape impossible. 

"Can't I just have a talk with my ex girlfriend?" 

_'Ex __girlfriend?'_

"Zabini, what are you talking about?" 

"I told you, you would regret it. Choosing him over me," Zabini said, taking on a much darker tone. "And you will. So watch out, mudblood. It's going to be hell." 

And then he let her go, walking quickly away. 

Hermione stood there, stunned, breathing heavily. 

'Ex girlfriend? Regret!? How did _he_ know about the parallel universe?' Hermione stood there confused, her mind racing, unable to think straight.

* * *

A/n: There you have it. If at all interested in the sequel, read the A/n in my profile. As 

for now, please review one last time. 

Please. 


	11. Author's Notice

Hey people, I just wanted to inform you all that I have posted the first chapter of A Different Life, which is the sequel to Another Life.

Cheers!


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